from http://www.packagingnews.co.uk/
Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield, gives his response to Defra’s plans for new recycling targets.
It is clear to everyone that the sustainable resource industry has come a long way since I co-founded the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group in 1995.
The UK is changing its approach to waste, increasingly valuing it as a resource, rather than a burden. In terms of packaging waste, we can be especially proud, considering that UK packaging waste and recovery levels are currently outperforming EU targets.
So, how can we build on this success while also remaining realistic about what the UK can achieve?
Defra has recently undertaken a consultation to increase packaging targets between 2013 and 2017. Reflecting the UK’s success thus far, the proposed targets are ambitious. Response from industry has varied, especially in different materials sectors. For example, industry response for steel is that the target isn’t high enough; for plastics, the response has been rather more critical.
I believe that higher targets will drive the UK to become a more sustainable economy, giving it the boost it needs to be the leader in the field. However, I also recognise there must be appropriate infrastructure in order to achieve these targets. Industry and parliamentarians must work together to convince the Government of this need, while at the same time supporting the UK’s continued progress with regards to packaging.
Barry Sheerman is MP for Huddersfield, and is a Co-Chair of the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group.
The APSRG is the leading forum informing the debate between parliamentarians, business leaders and the sustainable resource community.
APSRG’s mission is to provide an objective platform for effective communication between policy-makers, businesses and organisations with an interest in the sustainable resource management agenda and to raise awareness of sustainable resource issues within Parliament.
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